Accrington Stanley are first and hindmost a League club – alphabetically before all, positionally 92nd. This is familiar territory but things could have looked better today but for a galling end to the visit of Burton Albion to the Crown Ground on Saturday. In the 84th minute James Gray hit the inside of Burton's far post but James Beattie, Accrington's new manager, was in the stand in the absence of dug-outs and no one could poke in the rebound. Then, in the eighth minute of the minimum seven added, Adam Reed flicked in Adam McGurk's cross and Burton had won 1-0.

This is Accrington's third go at the Football League. They were in at the start in 1882 but out in five years. Their second lasted from 1921 to 1962, when they failed to complete their fixtures. Reformed in 1968, they returned in 2006 but have lodged below League Two's halfway line except for 2011, when they finished fifth.

Beattie arrived in November as player-coach, scored seven goals in 27 games, initially ending a run of 1,130 days without a first-team goal, and "had not really thought about management" until Leam Richardson, following Paul Cook to Chesterfield, recommended him. He soon showed his earnest, paying a club tax bill that was threatening a transfer embargo.

He has a head start in being local. Born in Lancaster, he scored at this ground as a boy and was a champion freestyle swimmer before shoulder trouble determined his sporting path with Blackburn as a gallop-cum-galumphing striker, a cross between thoroughbred and carthorse. Ten goals in 10 games for Southampton suggested he might be shadowing Alan Shearer but the sun went in, the foreign influx sophisticated the game from farmyard to china shop and, as he acknowledged, Rooney appeared. "Wayne has stepped up to the mantle [or mantel?]," he said, "and grabbed it with both hands."

Beattie's commitment on the field was worn on the sleeve but he cut a cool, composed figure off it, suited and Accrington-tied while his henchmen, three Pauls, did the butterfly stroke on the touchline in front. There was plenty to wave their arms for as Burton controlled the first hour. Skills were as low as the stands, six balls were lost in the first 30 minutes and Accrington held firm only through their centre-backs, Tom Aldred and Rob Atkinson, a Beattie signing. Accrington is famous for its hard building bricks and these two defenders were wise to the long throws of Rory Delap, a team-mate of Beattie at Southampton and Stoke.

For all Luke Joyce's energy and Michael Richardson's poise, though, the midfield was overrun and the leggy Scot, Kal Naismith, another Beattie signing, and Shay McCartan had little to work with up front. On the hour a plaintive cry rang out: "Come on, Beattie. Do something." A double substitution brought on Connor Mahoney, 16. Accrington were transformed as Burton were transfixed. Beattie may rejoice that the window, which has largely let in hot air fanned by fat cheque books and machinating managers, is closing. After all a gate of 1,174 gives little spending power.

He conceded "it was not a good spectacle" and "it would have been different if we had been more clinical", but he is not keen to play himself. He also said that Burton's manager, Gary Rowett, admitted he was "embarrassed to have taken all three points". But early in the second half Burton's Michael Symes headed in a cross that Reed nudged over the line to make sure before being blown for offside. Burton looked worthy of third in the table. Marcus Bettinelli, on loan from Fulham in goal, was Accrington's man of the match.

Their next league game is at Chesterfield, who top the table. Beattie has the backing of David Lloyd, former cricketer and club director, but bumbling does not look Beattie's way. As the players left the field a bank of dark grey clouds shuffled towards a ridge known as The Highway to Heaven. Mystic Meg, another Accrington notable, may know what they signified.